When will Fortnite Season 3 launch: why Epic Games have delayed the update - and new launch date

New seasons of Fortnite often bring with the big new content drops, and thematic changes that helps to keep the popular Battle Royale game fresh some three years on from its original release.

But fans were left waiting much longer than anticipated to see what new loot Season 3 brought to the game.

Here's everything you need to know about the delay:

When will Season 3 of Fortnite start?

New seasons of Fortnite often bring with the big new content drops, and thematic changes that helps to keep the game fresh some three years on from its original release.

But fans were left waiting much longer than anticipated to see what new loot Season 3 brought to the game.

The latest 'season' of the popular battle royale game Fortnite had been delayed until early June, much to the dismay of the game's rabid fanbase of followers.

Season 2 of Fortnite's so-called 'Chapter 2' was expected to come to a close on 30 April, on which date Season 3 would also be ushered in.

However, developers Epic Games confirmed that season would be extended by a number of weeks.

The game had already been pushed back to 4 June to account for remote working in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic; it received a further delay following the mass protests that broke out around the world following the death of George Floyd.

“We’re acutely aware of the pain our friends, families, team members, players, and communities are experiencing,” Epic said in a blog post.

“We believe in equality and justice, diversity and inclusion, and that these fundamentals are above politics. The team is eager to move Fortnite forward, but we need to balance the Season 3 launch with time for the team to focus on themselves, their families, and their communities.”

Season 3 eventually began on the later date of Thursday 17 June.

It's not the first time Fortnite has had to delay the reveal of one of its much-awaited new seasons.

Season 2 of the game was expected to go live just before Christmas, but was delayed until February, most likely to give Epic's staff some much deserved holiday time over the festive period.

What will Season 3 bring to the game?

Season 3 brings an underwater theme to the popular multiplayer game.

During the recent ‘Device’ in-game event, Midas’ doomsday clock hit zero, and kicked off a chain of event that sunk the game’s map.

As the countdown ended, pillars lifted up from under the map’s existing stretches of water, as an explosion blew up The Agency building.

The ‘Doomsday’ device appeared on a pedestal, as players were lifted into the air and transported to an alternate dimension office, where a character could be heard talking about storms and “the loop.”

When players were eventually sent back to the map, it was completely sunken into the sea.

It seems as if the game is currently in a sort of limbo between that event and the start of Season 3; players hoping to jump into a match will instead find themselves on an island surrounded by a wall of water, and will promptly be killed by AI-controlled Henchmen.

How much is a Battle Pass?

As usual, all players will be able to enjoy Season 3 of Fortnite for free, and even partake in some of the weekly challenges, but to get the most out of it you might want to opt for a Battle Pass.

It’s expected that the Battle Pass will once again deliver 100 tiers to progress through by completing challenges and gaining in-game experience, with loot to unlock along the way.

There will be new cosmetics to unlock, meaning you’ll be able to customise your character’s look even more.

The Battle Pass will likely cost 950 V-Bucks (Fortnite’s in-game currency).

The cheapest pack of V-Bucks you can buy is 1,000 for £7.99.

Is Fortnite still a big deal?

While Fortnite was arguably the most popular video game in the world at one time, it's popularity seems to be waning slightly.

The hashtag #RipFortnite trended on Twitter earlier in the year, with thousands of players protesting against the current state of the free-to-play battle royale game.

There doesn't appear to be a specific reason as to why so many players were taking to social media to vent their frustrations, but some have posited it may be to do with recent server issues the game has been suffering under increased demand from so many people around the world self-isolating.

Some disgruntled fans have said it's tied to Fortnite's skill-based matchmaking, which makes the game more competitive and less fun to play, while others have suggested the game is simply not what it used to be.

Despite some fans' complaints, Fortnite still retains one of the biggest player bases, and so losing a few irritated fans isn't going to hurt the game in the long run.